Re: Something like MATE?

You can install and use Compiz in Mate, which will give you effects. There seem to be some issues with it in Mate, so checking via Google and at mate-desktop.org is probably a good idea.

KDE, of course, has tons of optional effects.

Cinnamon would also be worth a look.

(Mate's default look, if installed from the directions at mate-desktop.org, is rather plain. You can polish it by setting font rendering to match Ubuntu's and then looking for some new themes and icons.)

Re: Something like MATE?

As you like the look of mate you may also like the look of xfce, which is the DE of Xubuntu. You can make it look almost a clone of mate or gnome 2 if you want to, and it has a similar looking menu structure, or can use a whisker menu instead (see screenshot)
On my system, as you can see, I have also added a panel that looks a bit like the unity launchbar, though it does not act in that way, it just has launchers in it for the various applications that I use most. I personally do not care for compiz and the graphical effects that it can provide, though I did use it in the past on gnome 2 just for fun; it did not actually make me work any faster or better.

Re: Something like MATE?

Doesn't make a lot of sense to me. If you want Mate to produce the effects, the polished and look of Unity then why not just use Unity? Mate is designed to keep the old gnome2 feel and workflow (well it is gnome2). It is primarily used by people who dislike recent changes and especially Unity. if you like that then just use Mate. The design and goals of the two are basically opposite,

You can install gnome-session-flashback on Unity so you can switch between unity and 'classic' session on log in. g-s-f is kind of like gnome2 but with up to date code base. Mate is using a code base which is deprecated everywhere else, it is sort of a zombie.